Right now, Tangiers teenagers are sitting by the cliff, back against the oldest fortification in North Africa, and they’re shooting up. It’s not natural ruins, it’s a pile of rubble. Groups won’t go to Tangiers to see a pile of rumble surrounded by drug addicts. In the Yucatan, there was still, at some point, someone who thought up how best to present these sites to tourists, and they targetted the more adventurous tourists who like to get off the beaten track. Someone was smart and said “yeah, let’s not cut the trees down and stick a starbucks here”.

I wish someone who think of something in Tangiers, u know, i never knew something like this could be so obvious, but it’s screaming “no city management”.

Like the street vendors, i’m sure if someone told them of a better technique and that westerners were scared and intimidated, they would change, because it is not their intention, it’s obvious, but desperation is stronger.

It’s a tough one.

A plave I loved, was on a tour of the Yucatan. We saw so many Mayan ruins – they were gorgeous – and some …. some were off the beaten path – this structure in the middle of a jungle. No boutique, no postacrds …. just your group and your guide and a quiet moment at the wonder of it all.

The Amalfi coast is an example of “been ruined by tourism” … the large Greek islands as well … it’s harder and harder to see a “country for what it is” … yes, even if it is poor and in shambles – because THAT is real. Tourism isn’t.

The problem now is that they WON’T attract tourists, because the street merchants are SO aggressive that it’s giving the city a bad rep. And, unfortunately, there isn’t much else the city has going it for it, so, yes, tourism might actually be it’s best bet.

But, point taken, once tourism kicks in, authenticity, for sure, will be lost… Just, well, it’s so poor, one wonders, is this the type of authenticity they want to preserve? Thoughts?